Ferry Tales: Part 26 -Montserrat to get a new ferry?

Update: Nothing happened as a result of this. A private ferry company did pitch to the Government, but their vessel wasn't suitable and it was unconnected to the Typhoon Express. Last week, a report published by the Governor’s Office said that there were no plans to bring back a ferry on either a permanent or…

Leaving Montserrat Part 5: The Rescue Team is Coming.

I'm still unable to leave Montserrat, so it looks like I'll be here for a while. My partner, whose contract ends at the end of next month, has to go. She has a mortgage to pay, and no sane person will run up debts in the current economic situation. The world is not a happy…

Montserrat joins USSR and Estonia in not turning up for a competitive fixture

The Concacaf website is now showing last June’s cancelled Bermuda v Montserrat Nations League fixture as a 3-0 win to Bermuda.  As people may remember, Montserrat failed to turn up, pulling out with 4 days' notice, and without any public explanation. There has still been no public statement despite the Montserrat FA having been notified…

The British Overseas Territories and the European Convention on Human Rights

This article first appeared on the website of the Friends of the British Overseas territories. https://www.fotbot.org/bots-and-echr?fbclid=IwAR3DYK8fLnaUKNB_QXDQCg-evxRm-6b1KR3Ygr9xFlu5M3fCPxw5URyBcrM The British Overseas Territories, along with the overseas territories of the other European nations, are covered by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This is important, particularly for the UK Territories, because it protects OT citizens where the…

Montserrat Ferry: Where did all the Money go?

This is blog post number 25 on the Montserrat ferry, but the first for a while. There has been very little public information since the ferry was cancelled a couple of years ago, but the FCDO has just published a review of the financial support provided to Montserrat over the last three years. So I…

Should we Just Ignore General Orders?

Many of the UK's current and past colonies use the former British Empire's General Orders to govern their government's internal affairs. Even Hong Kong did until it passed to China, and it may still do so. Their authoritarian content would definitely appeal. Zimbabwe used them all through the Ian Smith and Robert Mugabe regimes. In…

In London? Go and see SUS starring Stedroy Cabey

I saw on the Governor's Twitter feed last night that she went to see the revival of SUS at the Park Theatre in North London. It is a brilliant play about police racism, which was first performed in 1979. This version stars Montserratian actor Stedroy Cabey. I did respond to the tweet by pointing out…

Yet Another King of Redonda has Died.

For the third time since I began this blog, I have had to announce the sad death of a King of Redonda. This time it is the passing of King Xavier, who died earlier this month at the age of 70. The death of Xavier, better known as the acclaimed Spanish writer and translator Javier…

Will Joseph Farrell Jump the Queue?

The Brits do like to queue. That's not true, by the way, it's just an old cliche. They hate it. They can feel the eyes of the apparently well-behaved persons behind them, burning into their souls: Particularly if they are at the post office counter, and there is some sort of delay. Or if they…

Government of Montserrat to Legalise Same-Sex Marriage claims the Christian Council

The Christian Council expressed concern today about the Government of Montserrat’s supposed plans to force churches to marry people of the same sex. It’s shocking if true. No country in the world has ever done this. Even in England, where same-sex marriage has been legal for a decade, it is a matter for the Churches…

The Charles III Cheeseburger: My new creation.

I’m not sure how many people know this, but the King eats a vegetarian diet for two days of the week and avoids dairy products on a third. He does this because he believes that if we can all reduce our meat and dairy consumption it will reduce the demand for intensively farmed products, which…

A New King is Proclaimed!

I almost went to the proclamation of the new King this morning in Salem Park, but didn't have anything to wear. The invitation made it feel like a far more formal and sober occasion than the equivalent proclamations in the UK would have been, and I outgrew my smart clothes years ago. From the photos,…

Eric Clapton Donates £500 to restore the Montserrat Cultural Centre

Last week the Montserrat Governor, Sarah Tucker, launched a Just Giving Fundraiser for improvement works to the cultural centre. Tucker's text states: "Weʼre raising £20,000 to Rejuvenate the Cultural Centre in Montserrat. Modernising safety features, creating greener lighting and improving accessibility." "Twenty five years ago, Sir George Martin created Music for Montserrat, a concert at the Royal Albert…

We Were Tourists. When Annie Lennox came to Montserrat

One of the first bands to record in Montserrat was The Tourists, the group now best known for launching the careers of Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox, who went on the form Eurythmics, one of the biggest bands of the 1980s. The Tourists lasted for three albums, before the band’s popularity began to wane and their…

When is a Government Contract not a Contract?

This blog is becoming my list of things to sort out before we go. There is so much, and I can’t pretend it’s not stressful. I think the cats are sensing the stress too as a couple of them have disappeared again. It’s not for me to go into detail on these issues, but the…